Bucket Lists

Monday, April 21, 2014

My daughter, who is 23 years old, informed me this morning that she is building something called a cafe racer -apparently some sort of small, fast motorcycle. I was horrified, but that's beside the point. When I asked her (repeatedly) why she'd do something like that when surely there were other things yadayadayada, her reply was that it was on her Bucket List.

Ever since that annoyingly depressing movie came out, everyone I know has constructed a bucket list. So I thought I'd come up with my own.

Bad idea.

The only thing I can think of is "get all the laundry washed, folded and put away." Maybe "organize the holiday decorations." Not thinking big enough? All right, how about "get all four sides of the house painted at the same time"?

I've had accomplishments in mind over the years. Once I decided to read the Bible from cover to cover, but bogged down somewhere in Leviticus. I did better with the dictionary, but kept getting off track by their, "See thus and so" instructions, so I never finished that either. There's no point in reading the encyclopedia (yes, children, I still have a set) because most of the information in it is no longer relevant and all the countries in Africa keep changing.

People have "Travel!" on their bucket lists. I've been from Newfoundland to Key West, although for some reason I've never been west of Cleveland. I've thought about wanting to drive across the country, but so much of it is flatness and corn and dirt and rocks...I mean, why would anyone want to drive across Iowa or Texas? So you can get to the other side of the country and meet people who are just like the ones you know at home, only tanner?

I used to want to take a cruise somewhere, but I developed an ear thing and now get seasick really easily (I used to be virtually immune to motion sickness) so now a cruise sounds like spending three days feeling dreadful so I can get to a place where rum is $50 a bottle.

I've done lots of outdoorsy stuff, driven a ton of miles, met plenty of semi- and for real famous people, eaten exotic food, learned a foreign language, written books, driven cars really fast, painted (very mediocre) paintings, completed 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles. Am I really that boring that I can't come up with any Must See or Must Do things? Heck, they don't even have to be legal - I'm flexible.

Sure, I suppose Nepal would be interesting, but the chances of successfully arranging (and paying for) a trip there are pretty far-fetched, and composing a Bucket List of things I'll likely never be able to do sounds pretty depressing and self-defeating.

How do you feel about Bucket Lists? Do you have one? And if you have any suggestions for me by all means, let's hear them (and remember, SP won't let you post naughty words.)

FLORIDASUN
I like the 'concept' of bucket lists...I just don't like the fact that once you go through the events you most likely promptly CROAK!

I would LOVE to get my hands on enough $$ (we'd have to think lotto winnings here) that we could hire a driver (a GOOD driver) and take a big ole' RV around to all of Josh's many friends that are spread out all over the world and visit with them for a few days and find out their dreams and hopes and then fund them into reality!

That would be the cat's meow!

I'd also like to have more time to go out and get all hot and sweaty and my hands dirty volunteering for Habitat for Humanity...what better way to spend your days then putting a roof over some deserving human's head.

I of course would love to actually follow through on one of my many writing projects and get ONE of my books completed that would expose the evils of the dirty rotten bankers that have successfully stolen homes away from trusting homeowners that fell for their "Yes...we are helping you...modifications that are a total rip off and end up just putting MORE money in their stinking pockets before they STEAL your houses anyway.

That story has been hush hush for some 6 years now and is still status quo. It reminds me of the Nazi's and the Jews...yet there is no outrage only submission all these many years later.

I'd LOVE to go back to Italy or the French countryside...or move to a country outside of the States but still be able to connect to my internet and see my first run movies.

I'd love to travel to all the reaches of the world and visit each and every one of my awesome Spark friends and have the $$ to fly them all down here to FL for a couple of weeks in the winter and rent a big fabulous house on the beach that all we had to do was get up, have our breakfast catered and then take off for the day walking the beach or traveling around the state playing tourist.

I'd love to get rid of all of the nasty food ads and fake food pop ups that appear on Spark and interfere with my concentration when I'm reading blogs...yet still have the site free for anyone who is wanting to join and use the many healthy tools they supply.

I'd love to have a bucket list that isn't called a bucket list...but a 'living la vida loca' list and allow each of us to be the exciting and adventurous humans that we have been put on this earth to be.

And yes...Scoot...that would mean drag gin you along for the ride too!

HIPPICHICK1
My dear Scooter...Bucket Lists (IMO) should not include reading the Bible, a set of Encyclopedias or the dictionary, but rather things that you just don't want to miss. For example, a friend of mine saw Leonard Cohen in concert and said it was a "must see" kind of thing, so that is on my Bucket List. Yes, I have a small list that I keep on my iPhone and started making it one day when we were travelling somewhere in the car and I had some time to think about it. Most of what is on my bucket list is travel related (I was inspired by the car ride I suppose), for example I would like to take the train from my hometown of Winnipeg up to Churchill just for the train ride and the experience of being up that far north and seeing Hudson Bay in person instead of just looking at its vastness on a map. And one of the entries reads: Meet Spark friends Scooter, Bobi, Stephanie....1200 days ago

WINDSWEPTACRES
No bucket list for me either. I couldn't have planned most of the things that have happened to me over the last five or six years. Sometimes life's surprises are a lot better than the things we had planned for ourselves. 1213 days ago

NORASPAT
Great. Blog Karen. My walking buddies made up a bucket list where we all should go in Maine. Most of the Places they want to go to I already went with our kids. My walking Buddies have walked all over Europe. I just like to get away out of the house but DH wants to stay home. He was in the army so he got go lots of places.I did a lot of stuff in my youth. Our kids have mostly seen Maine. I just want to be happy and pain free. HUGS Pat in Maine. I guess I am boring too. Thanks for straightening me out. HUGS.1214 days ago

MORTICIAADDAMS
We are definitely sisters in another life - sharing the same bucket. I don't have a bucket list either but I loved some of yours. Organizing the holiday decorations would definetly make me happy. Getting all sides of the house stained at the same time would rock.

My hubby read the Bible twice and I felt and urge to do the same and they begating seemed to go on forever and I quit. I know it wasn't much of an effort but I'm not long suffering and I really wanted to get to the good parts. Hubby reads dictionaries and encyclopedieas too. Same problem again with me - short attention span.

I am ambivalent about travel. I would love to do it but I would have to leave home.

I thought I wanted to cruise too and then norovirus and SARS came about and other maladies and I was cured.I can get sick here and puke my socks up without having to pay for it.

Re Nepal? I have a friend who is from Katmandu and he left there anr really, really, really never wanted to go back. It's not a fun place. I'm not into mountain climbing.

My bucket list would be to get this place in some kind of order. 1214 days ago

TOI-TOI-TOI
Like you, I have a fair amount of contempt for the "bucket list" concept because I fear it creates snares and delusions. I sometimes envy the people who have so much passion that they have such strong desires.

Before I knew the term, I guess my "bucket list" was to go to London and I've done that. Right now if I had to say I have a "bucket list" it would be to read certain books that I know I can read easily and soon. My bucket list is to get my home cleaned so that I will leave a tidy corpse, metaphorically. "Things" and "accomplishments" matter less to me as I age.

My bucket list if I had to have one is to see my children occupied with something in life that goes beyond sheer drudgery and tedium.

BETHGILLIGAN
I guess I'm fairly boring. I have no bucket list and no real desire to make one. I have traveled a bit; not my favorite thing to do. We are going to London/Ireland in a couple of months. It's my dream trip so I guess you could say it's on my bucket list (soon to be checked off). I'm content doing what I'm doing and living my life as positively as I can.1214 days ago

SCOOTER4263
You all, as usual, have made me very happy. I actually hadn't thought of it as having lived my life the way I wanted to, as I came to it, but you're right - that's what it is.

My great-uncle (second uncle? removals? I don't understand those things...anyway) Al Close was a very good poker player and one of his favorite sayings was, "It's not the cards you're dealt, it's how you play them." I agree wholeheartedly.1214 days ago

SLIMMERJESSE
As usual, you make me smile. When I read your title, I immediately thought of two things - 1. I think bucket lists are ridiculous 2) My main priority - maintain my sanity throughout today. Then I read what you wrote and it's similar. (smiling) Like you, I've travelled my little hiney off and done a variety of other adventures. Big hug, Scoot.1214 days ago

APPLEPIEAPPLE
Instead of a bucket list, I just do what I want to do. I live life in a way that gives me joy. There is not many if any places I want to travel. I did take a cruise in 2003 with a friend. It was just after I retired and it was something my husband wanted to do but we never could afford. But I chose to take the trip while I had the money to do it. I never thought of it as part of a bucket list.

Most of my life I just have tried to live in a way that I had few regrets when I died. If I felt if I did not do something I would regret it later--I would do it. So far I have very few things I have regretted. I guess the bucket list is a list of regrets you have later in life. If so, I do not have such a list. I have enjoyed my life even with the tears and pain. 1214 days ago

SHERYLDS
I've been following the South Korean Ferry disaster...no cruise for me thank you. But I can't afford my bucket list. I would love to move to Hawaii. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of money and I don't think I can earn a living as a hula dancer. 1214 days ago

LADYCALICO
If I have to force it, then it isn't worth putting on my bucket list. If it was something unforced that deserves being put on my bucket list, then I've probably already done it. 1214 days ago

HARVESTER54
LOL you brought a smile to my day. I have a short BL I have taken my trip to Israel the main goal LOVED it. It is a joy to read that you are so content with your life and what you have achieved. Blessings. 1214 days ago